


Blinding Smile

by Fjeril



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-10 03:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13494564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fjeril/pseuds/Fjeril
Summary: Wataru wonders. He made a choice that changed his life, but to what point has it hurt the others?





	1. Blood bond

**Author's Note:**

> A work a little different, this time ~  
> To be honest, I've been quite blocked with writing for the past months, not really knowing what to write or where I was going. This work is a bit clumsy, but I'd still be glad if you followed it until the end.

When Rei entered the classroom that afternoon, nobody was there, except for Wataru. The magician was sat on his desk, listening to music, watching through the window. The vampire could only see his back, but somehow, the atmosphere in the class seemed very wrong. So, not to fast, so he wouldn't startle him, Rei approached his friend. Wataru usually felt other people's presence before he saw them, but for some reason, this time seemed different. As if he was in another world. So, before he put his hand on his friend's shoulder, the vampire took a deep breath.

"Rei, do you hate me?"

The question was so unexpected he put his hand away as if the magician's shoulder was burning, and stared at his friend for a long minute. Hatred was definitely not what he had found himself feeling towards him, but Rei needed to put it in words. To try and find the right way to express his feelings towards everything that had happened.

"I do not," he stated, looking through the window in his turn, "Of course I was frustrated, scared, angry, but I understood your choice."

Silence fell for a short second, before Rei could see his friend's eyes reflecting in the window, as if they were looking at him; so he looked back.

"Do you think I did a wrong choice?"

The purple eyes didn't look like the ones he was used to see, full with self-confidence and mysteries; they weren't the eyes that made him dream of meeting this wonder of a man, the same eyes Tenshouin was losing himself in while destroying them. The eyes he was looking at were those of someone lost.

"I do not," he declared again, "You did what needed to be done. I believe the smile you put on his face is proof of it. Nobody, not even his childhood friend managed to put such a smile on his face. And I don't think anyone else ever could do what you've done. So, no matter it used to hurt, I think you've made the right choice."

It still hurt a little to admit it, yet in the end, he felt lighter, finally admitting it. In the window, he saw Wataru's eyes wrinkle up, just a tiny little bit, and light starting to regain the place it shouldn't have left. Rei's heart felt lighter, and he hoped the magician's was, too. At least, he had started moving, finally facing the vampire.

"Amazing☆"

A second later, Rei found himself with three roses in hand, and couldn't help but smile. They were fresh, and beautiful, as dazzling as the one that had made them appear.


	2. Abyssal Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Mh, I wanted to stay on a weekly basis with this work, but since the chapters are short, should I go to a daily publishing basis?

Kanata was enjoying the sun and the fresh water of the fountain, gleefully skipping classes so he could avoid the student council members. The day was beautiful and the sun very warm, perfect for his hobby. But after a while, a shadow showed up upon his favorite resting place. A little annoyed, he opened his eyes, and closed them just after: someone had thought it was a good idea to place themselves right before the sun, and not only was it unsufferable to look at, but he also was unable to see the person's face. Luckily, the long strands of hair had been enough to identify him, but Kanata wasn't less annoyed.

"Wataru," he scolded, "Go "away" from the "sun"."

A second later, he heard a chuckle, and the magician moved away from the sun. Judging by the changes of light, he was dancing around or making his show again, so the fish-lover let himself slip further in the water. He liked Wataru, but his friend was very noisy sometimes; and noise was one of the reasons he liked to escape in the fountain.

"Oh, but I shall _be_ your sun, my dear friend!"

With a sigh, Kanata looked towards the magician, a mocking smile at the border of his lips:

"I already have a "sun", Wataru," he declared, "and he "burns" enough for me not to wish for a "second" one."

Besides, if he had to compare Wataru to anything, it would have been the moon rather than the sun. His long, pale hair and all his mysteries suited it way much more. With a wet hand, the sea creature caught a strand of hair, causing his friend to look towards him.

"But if you "came" to "me", it might "mean" you have "something" you want to "speak" of with "me", isn't it?"

The sorry smile on his friend's face was enough of an answer, so the creature in the fountain signed him to sit, and got close to him. He wondered what could be so important for the magician to deliberately come to the fountain and ask him, alone. But he could see. In his eyes, the ocean was troubled. Looking calm, but actually wary, waves rolling at a dissonant rhythm. Something was troubling Wataru, something too important to be ignored.

"Do you hate me for what I did?"

_Oh._ So that was what all the trouble was. Happily, Kanata smiled:

"I "did"!"

His friend's reaction was priceless, and even if the sea in his eyes was a little more agitated, Kanata continued:

"I "did". I could not "understand" what you were doing. It felt like a "treason". Like you were killing us, in "front" of "everyone". It didn't make any "sense". It was "scary." But, you know, " he paused for a long moment; he needed to find the right way to formulate it, without insisting on the deep resent he felt for the student council president, "if this is "how" you are "happy", then I "cannot" keep "hating" you. You are my "friend", Wataru."

A drop of water fell in the fountain, yet a second later the magician erased the tear that had rolled on his cheek, before he nodded. The ocean in his eyes had calmed down, turned smoother. Kanata smiled again, and in return, a single word:

"Amazing☆"

And as his friend left, Kanata's eyes were full of the huge, beautiful nenuphar that had appeared.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Beauty in despair

Focused on his work, Shu was glad he didn't have to watch over Kagehira that day, when someone knocked at the door. It was a bit shy, as if restrained. Nito, he guessed, and sighed, carefully letting his work aside. Once he was sure it wouldn't move of be wasted, he got up, charging Mademoiselle with the important mission of checking on his work. Once again, even more shyly, the person knocked at the door, and he opened it. Unexpectedly, it wasn't Nito he found behind the door. Nor Kagehira, or even Aoba.

Immediately, Shu tried to close the door; but the visitor was already in, walking around, checking on the costume he had been working on. The young man sighed, approaching the intruder - who had decided to have a conversation with the puppet.

"She's focused," Shu scolded, "She has to watch over this and you're not allowed to touch it. Who knows what kind of weird stuff you were touching a second ago."

The magician, instead of answering, showed him his hands, covered in water. Suddenly, Shu knew _exactly_ where he had been spending his time, and that was an even better reason not to let him touch the fabric. So, he put the costume away from his friend's curiosity, and served the three of them a nice cup of tea - while being careful, Mademoiselle's cup was quite small.

"I hope you have something important to discuss, Hibiki," he sighed, while sitting face to the intruder, "I can't allow myself to lose too much time. These have to be ready for tomorrow morning."

The expression on Wataru's face was as cheerful as always, while he tasted the freshly served tea. It seemed to be to his taste, if Shu believed the childish smile on his lips - before it disappeared, in a kind of expression Wataru rarely displayed: he was never half happy, or half enthusiastic, and when he had negative feelings, he disappeared in the theater club room, hiding it away from the world. So the loss of his smile truly came both as a wonder and a surprise, to Shu. Even though, he couldn't help but find beauty in that distant look.

"Shu, do you hate me? I know I hurt everyone at the time. But I need to know."

Holding his own cup just in front of his lips, the handicraft club leader looked into Wataru's eyes. Hatred was such a lack of elegance, and yet he couldn't say he hadn't abandonned himself to it at some point.

"I truly bear hatred towards one person," he admitted, "Even though I pity you for your poor choices, you are my friend, Hibiki."

Even though he wanted the one who had destroyed them to disappear from the surface of Earth, at that time, he had met the closest friends he had ever had. Closing his eyes, he finally sipped his tea, enjoying its warmth and its delicate taste. Truly, importing tea from France had been an excellent idea.

To the sound of shuffling fabrics, Shu brutally opened his eyes; only to discover Wataru had gotten up, and was about to leave the room. Just before opening the door, he turned back, and winked at Mademoiselle.

"Amazing☆"

When Shuu checked the costume he had been working on, cherry blossoms had appeared on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	4. Magical blood

Natsume always spent a lot of time in his secret laboratory. While most of the time, he was working on spells, songs, or new recipes, sometimes he just liked to stay there for a few hours and rest. There were books all around and he hadn't read all of them yet; if one day he ever did, he could still go and borrow some from Tsumugi, but for now the ones he had with him were more than enough.

Putting the recipe book aside, Natsume checked if the potion he was preparing was boiling yet. The surface of the purple liquid was still smooth and opaque, to the point it was almost hypnotizing. The self-confidence potion was the only one to have such an aspect, and hadn't he known that every single step was important in its preparation, Natsume would have let himself get lost in admiration. Instead, he started reciting spells to be sure the potion would work, and to add power to it. This time would be the right one. This time, he would manage to give Tsumugi what he lacked the most.

As if his senior had guessed he was concerned, Natsume could hear light, unsure footsteps come towards his secret laboratory. Once the person stopped in front of the door, the wizard decided to wait and see. If the spell from the morning had worked, then Tsumugi would come in by himself - if he didn't, then that meant he had to put double efforts in his potion. While stirring the purple liquid, Natsume decided to measure how long it would take.

A whole minute went by.

Then a second.

But he could still feel someone was behind that door, and at that point it was getting annoying. So, Natsume sighed, and announced:

"Tsumugi, stop being a coward and **_come in_**."

While the first bubbles appeared on the surface of the liquid, the door opened halfway, letting his friend enter. Sighing, Natsume readied himself to scold his unit mate and tell him he was enough of a big boy to come in without needing to ask, but the other replied:

"I'm not Aoba, but I'm a coward. Can I still come in?"

Under the surprise, Natsume almost let his pan fall on the floor, and had to secure it before he could allow to answer his guest. Once he was sure the potion wasn't wasted, the wizard turned his back to his work, looking at the newcomer:

"As long as I can complete my secret recipe, cowards are allowed in **_here_** ," he declared, "But it is unlike you to be a coward, big **_brother_**."

On Wataru's lips, a sorry smile made its way, that displeased Natsume. It looked ugly on him.

"You're right," the magician confirmed, "So please let me make it quick, so I can get back to the real me. Natsume, I know you were the one I hurt the most. So tell me, do you hate me?"

For a moment, Natsume stayed silent. He understood why Wataru would ask him such a question, yet it was still unexpected. Until this very moment, the magician's eyes had never shown any doubt. The sound of his boiling potion came to his ears, so the wizard turned towards it, slowly lowering the stove's temperature, and once again stirred the liquid. On the shelf at his left, he took a bottle, and a glass. In the bottle, he poured most of the liquid, and once it was filled, closed it before putting it in the mini fridge. Then, he placed what was left in the glass. While watching the last purple drops fall in the recipient, he finally found the right words:

"I resented you. I couldn't understand why you refused our help, why you didn't let us step on the stage with you. I didn't understand why you would allow **_him_** to step on someone as magnificent as yourself. So **_of course_** all the respect I had for you left at the time."

He paused for a moment, took both the pan and the wooden spoon to put them in his small sink. Then, Natsume turned towards his senior again:

"I was a fool," he admitted, "I might still be one. If it's forgiveness you're looking for, you'll have to look somewhere else. But if you just want to be understood, then it's done already. If I refuse to support your unit, I still support you."

Natsume grabbed the glass, brought it to his friend:

"Drink this," he directed, "And hurry to get back to your usual self."

The magician accepted the potion without hesitation, and drank it all. Then, he saluted, before opening the door.

"Amazing☆"

Before the word made any sense to his mind, Natsume found a blue pansy in the empty glass.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Feathers of an Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are for the last part! Hope you'll enjoy this one as much as the others ♪
> 
> This is the last thing I upload for a while for various reasons, so see you in a while!

Standing in the studio, in his dance clothes, Wataru was gazing at his own reflection. His hair was up, his usual smile had disappeared, and he was completely silent. Even he thought he didn't look like himself. That was the him nobody knew, the Wataru that used to sit alone in his room, in silence, after seeing his friends destroyed in turn, the year before. At that time where he couldn't understand why all this was happening.

He remembered that scary determination in the Emperor's eyes, and the aweful words he had caught from Aoba. He remembered trying to speak with the other oddballs, looking for a way to tell them what was about to go on, but all of them were busy at the time. One night he had acted as if he hadn't caught the longing gaze of a man whose feelings were beyond sheer admiration, mostly because he refused to lose in front of him.

In his reflection, all Wataru had been able to see, recently, was filth and dirt, surrounded by blinding lights. When he tried and moved one hand, he wasn't really sure the man in the mirror would do the same. And yet, it did.

He saw the words his friends had told him flow over his body. _Frustrated. Scared. Hated. Treason. Pity. Resent._ Almost immediately washed away by a huge wave of _support_. His heart felt lighter, and Wataru took a deep breath, closing his eyes. It was only when he opened them again that he noticed the way his lips had curved.

Now, next to his reflection's sides, he could see Eichi, Fushimi, Himemiya. All of them smiling, shining brightly. So much it almost hurt his eyes. So much he wished he could shine as brightly as them. Suddenly, without him suspecting anything, a second wave of _support_ hit him, so strongly he almost lost his balance. As soon as he was back on his feet, Wataru noticed he looked less fade than a minute ago.

The smile on his lips grew larger: he had no idea what Natsume had put in his potion, but it looked like it was very efficient. Silently thanking his friend, he started stretching, before warming up. He wanted to work a bit before the morning classes ended and the other members arrive, to catch up on the gap there was between his and his friends' performances. So, he started their latest song, focusing on how he wanted his movements to look like, counting in his head. This time, the dance was even more difficult, even more strict than anything he had done before. His limits were pushed, and suddenly, worry took over him: would Eichi really be able to stand a live with this song? Would he even be able to survive the song alone?

The second he thought about it, Wataru tripped on his own feet, and found himself on the floor. In the mirror, his own face was showing surprise and shock; but what actually caught his eyes was something else. Next to his sides, he could still see Eichi. While standing up, he blinked, before his friend's image moved towards his.

He didn't expect to feel a hand on his shoulder, and to be greeted by a warm smile when he turned his head towards it. But yet, Eichi was there, bringing with him peace and warmth. The student council present stayed silent for a moment, and so did Wataru, flabbergasted that he was by his friend's aura.

Even if he liked looking into people's eyes, at some point he needed to look away; and so he did, checking the mirror, before turning towards his friend again.

"Amazing☆" he claimed, "Even I am not able to appear from a mirror! What a wonderful trick!"

Eichi's clear laugh made him feel alive, and suddenly, he started shining a little bit.

"I wish I would actually be able to do that," the blond admitted, "but magic is your speciality, not mine. I was here from the beginning, wondering what was in your reflection that could take all of your attention.

\- Did you find your answer?

\- Did you find yours?"

On his leader's face appeared a childish one, the one that reminded him they only were teenagers.

'I think I did," he simply answered, before taking Eichi's hand, and tapping lightly on it. Three times.

"Amazing☆" he whispered.

When Fine's leader opened his hand, a white rose had appeared in it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this very short story, and always thank you for your support!   
> During that while, please take care of you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it so far!


End file.
